British Apples & Pears Limited held its annual AGM at NIAB‘s new Mumford Building in East Malling, Kent and online (via Zoom) on Tuesday, 24th March 2026
BAPL was delighted to share the day with friends and colleagues from the National Fruit Show. The National Fruit Show held its AGM first, followed by a guest speaker and then BAPL ran its AGM. Many attendees joined for all three sessions.
The guest speaker was Kent MP, Kevin McKenna. Kevin talked about how much he is learning from growers. He highlighted the long-term commitment that growers need to invest in their businesses and how short-term instability – like the Middle East conflict – can really impact businesses in our sector.
Kevin McKenna explained that the government’s farming profitability review has resulted in a new Food and Farming Partnership Board. That board has prioritised horticulture for a new growth sector plan which should address the challenges growers face and provide opportunities for new growth in the sector. He is also working hard to ensure that BAPL has representation and influence on the board to set the agenda for that framework.
Kevin McKenna, MP, talking at the BAPL AGM
In the BAPL AGM, Ali Capper provided an update on the extensive activities in the last financial year (August 2024 to July 2025). This included:
- Completed R&D projects and new areas of focus for crop protection.
- Extensive engagement with retailers and government, with ongoing discussions on cost of production, long-term contracts, capital investment support and seasonal labour policy
- Major consumer reach, with top BAPL social posts exceeding 1.5 million views and wider partnership campaigns generating over 4.9 million impressions.
- A Veg Power partnership, with school resources reaching more than 100,000 children.
- An overview of the crop and sales to date (September 2025 to February 2026)
- The great start of season promotional work from several retailers to get behind British at this crucial time
- New Smart Orchard Grower Workshops and Case Studies to expand sector knowledge.
If you missed the AGM, you can view the slides below: